Sharp Home Electronics Company of America (SHCA) has announced the launch of the Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom (shop.sharpusa.com), and notes that it will also be soon expanding to select premium appliance retailers. The Showroom features three-dimensional renderings of consumer kitchen appliances sold by SHCA within a model kitchen that showcases each product as it’s meant to be used in the home.
The digital environment will provide the ability to expand online shopping capabilities for consumers interested in purchasing new appliances, as well as provide retailers interested in integrating this feature on their websites with an engaging pre-sale experience. More interactive than simple photos of appliances on an e-commerce website, the Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom provides the opportunity for customers to inspect kitchen appliances installed in a realistic setting. Touchscreen support means customers can research and explore the Sharp kitchen appliances on their mobile device while on the go.
When entering the virtual showroom, consumers are presented with all the available categories of Sharp built-in kitchen appliances in the left-side navigation menu. Within each category, users will find highly detailed and articulated models that can be placed in the Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom. Upon selecting an appliance, the showroom will zoom in and present functional options such as “Open Door” and “View Control Panel” to showcase each appliance. A breakdown of each appliance’s features is also displayed onscreen so consumers can learn more about them as they interact.
“We rely on retail partnerships to reach consumers with Sharp appliances. Still, it is our responsibility to make the shopping experience more convenient and innovative along the way,” says James Sanduski, president, SHCA. “Online shoppers deserve a heightened, digital experience that compliments the physical storefront while contributing new and tangible value to the consumer and retailer.”
The Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom includes current Sharp kitchen appliances in the following product categories:
- Microwave Drawer Ovens
- Over-the-range microwave ovens
- Wall Ovens
- Refrigerators
- Dishwashers
- Cooktops
- Range Hoods
“Providing two-dimensional imagery with a handful of bullet points isn’t always enough to appeal to the consumer’s wants and needs,” says Peter Weedfald, senior vice president of sales and marketing, SHCA. “Sharp’s new virtual showroom allows customers to visualize the Sharp kitchen of their dreams while providing retailers with a fresh driver of major appliance sales.”
Online retailers such as Mrs. G Appliances have already started integrating the platform on their e-commerce sites, reports Sharp: “The ability to offer our customers the option to shop Sharp’s impressive portfolio of built-in kitchen appliances online has significantly enhanced their e-commerce shopping experience,” says Debbie Schaeffer, CEO of Mrs. G Appliances. “Mrs. G Appliances has been selling Sharp’s highly innovative and award-winning Microwave Drawer ovens for years, and we are sure their new virtual ‘3D’ kitchen will truly excite and energize our customers even more.”
New Jersey-based retailer Reno’s Appliance is another early adopter of the Sharp Virtual Kitchen Showroom: “We are proud of the shopping experience we offer customers from our physical storefront, so to have such an engaging digital option is a game-changer,” says John Cioletti, president and CEO of Reno’s Appliance. “For regional businesses and showrooms around the country, Sharp’s virtual experience unlocks the potential for wider reach and a more compelling sales environment.”
